7 Superfood Soups that Delight the Senses While Fueling Body and Soul

Soup spans the spectrum. From the ordinary to the exquisite. From the fat and salt laden to the super food dense. From cans of condensed to the cauldrons of creativity. But when it comes to superfoods, it’s hard to find a better venue for a mix of everything good, than a bowl of soup. I’ve never felt the need to confine soup making to the winter months, and on this first day of spring, as soup season starts to fade, I’m feeling inclined to recap some of my faves over the past few months, and explore new territory in soup-making adventures. Some of my top picks below are from 100Ingredients.com and some are from other sites that are inspiring me big time.

We started the year with this soup, and it’s not certain whether we ever actually topped it. Squash has proven to be the perfect host to so many combinations of flavors, and the combination of the apple and the onion created a wonderfully soothing comfort food that stayed in the culinary memory for some time.

My 2013 love affair with the lentil was kicked off with this recipe. Lately, I haven’t been able to say enough good things about the lentil, which stands as a marvel of the superfood realm. Combined with kale and some basic veggies, this soup took on the flavor complexity of curry while topping the charts for nutrition.

It’s always the right season to dive into a recipe that appears this delicious. I just happened upon this blog: Kosher Like Me, and it is is devoted to sharing “exhilarating and varied eating adventures” in an effort to move beyond what the site’s founder described as the monotony of mainstream Kosher options. There’s nothing mainstream about the recipes on this site. Can’t wait to make this, and only a few substitutions will be needed in order to stay within my 100 Ingredients framework.

And now for something completely different: a very original soup from a snappy site with a treasure trove of tasty vegetarian recipes. Oh My Veggies makes a point that I love: “When your food tastes good, you focus on what’s on your plate, not what’s missing from it.” Exactly.

Last on the list, but certainly not least, is a variation on Gazpacho that can lead us into the summer with a cool and creamy twist on an old standby. Avocado Gazpacho hails from Beyond the Peel, which is a happening site that’s all about whole foods — the real stuff that sprouts from seeds, grows on trees, is dug out of the ground or is laid by real chickens. This recipe is touted as a 5-minute Gazpacho, and that’s total. No cooking, no dicing, just toss a mix of chart-topping superfoods into the blender and zap a few times. I can’t wait to give it a whirl.